City Series: White Sox win a wild 9-8 finale over Cubs in 10 innings on a walk-off home run by Edgar Quero

LaMond Pope, Chicago Tribune on May 17, 2026

Published in Baseball

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The rubber game of the City Series delivered the drama on Sunday afternoon at Rate Field.

One minute, it was the White Sox taking the lead in the eighth on a three-run home run by Tristan Peters — the first of his career. The next, it was the Cubs responding with a game-tying, three-run home run by Michael Conforto in the ninth.

Catcher Edgar Quero, who came into the day mired in a major hitting slump, emerged as the hero in the 10th inning with a walk-off, two-run home run against Cubs reliever Ryan Rolison to lift the Sox to a 9-8 victory in front of a sellout crowd of 38,608.

Quero was a .151 hitter entering Sunday with just one extra-base hit on the season, a double. He picked the perfect time for his first home run of the year, capping a three-hit day.

“It feels amazing,” Quero said. “Right away, when I hit the ball, I knew that ball was going deep. I didn’t know it was a homer. The field is pretty big in that part. I felt it was really good contact.

“I was just happy for me, for the team, for everybody. I was ready for that time. I was thinking about the game today. I had two days on the bench, trying to support the guys. And today was my time and I was focused. Last night I was thinking about it. I knew it was going to be a really good game for me today because I visualized it.”

The Sox (24-22) won two of three for their first series win against the Cubs (29-18) since 2022.

“You understand the significance of the series and you want to perform well, obviously because we want to win, but for our fans as well,” Sox manager Will Venable said. “Really happy that they came out to support us, obviously great energy in the building and obviously happy that we were able to get those wins.”

The Sox have won three series in a row (against Seattle, Kansas City and the Cubs). The Cubs have lost three series in a row ( at Texas, at Atlanta and at Rate Field against the Sox).

“When you give up nine runs, that’s too many,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “We also left a lot of runs out there. But look, it was a good baseball game. You have to say that when you’re on the losing end, too. It was a good baseball game, we were just on the losing end of it today.”

The game was filled with twists and turns.

It was all Cubs early.

Michael Busch followed a single by Nico Hoerner with a home run to right field, giving the Cubs a 2-0 lead two batters into the game. Alex Bregman singled and later scored on a wild pitch, extending the Cubs’ lead to 3-0 before the Sox had the chance to bat.

The Sox scored in the second on an RBI single by Quero.

Bregman made it 4-1 with an RBI infield single in the fourth on a ball deflected by relief pitcher Sean Newcomb.

Miguel Vargas played a major role as the Sox worked their way back into the game. He was hit by a pitch leading off the fourth, advanced to second on a groundout and scored when Benintendi doubled to left-center.

Vargas came up in a big spot in the fifth, batting with two on and two outs. He came through with a two-run double to right field, tying the score at 4.

It remained that way until the eighth. Benintendi drew a two-out walk and Quero singled, bringing Peters to the plate.

Peters has played tremendous defense in center field for the Sox. And he’s been reliable at small ball, tied for the team lead with three sacrifice bunts. He was swinging Sunday and drilled a 1-0 sweeper from Cubs reliever Phil Maton for a three-run home run, giving the Sox a 7-4 lead.

“It was incredible, probably the most emotion I’ve ever showed on a field, and what a series to do it in too,” Peters said. “It was amazing.

“Couldn’t ask for a better moment.”

The Cubs came back with a big moment by Conforto. A leadoff walk and a one-out throwing error by Vargas at third base gave the Cubs runners on second and third for Conforto. He worked a 3-1 count before blasting a 414-foot, game-tying, three-run home run against Sox closer Seranthony Domínguez.

“I don’t want to chase Domínguez around,” Conforto said. “I want to make sure I swing at strikes and got into an advantage count where I could open it up a little bit and take some chances. I just put a really good swing on it.”

The Cubs went ahead 8-7 in the top of the 10th when Dansby Swanson scored on Bregman’s grounder to shortstop Colson Montgomery.

But the Sox delivered the knockout punch in the bottom of the 10th when Quero, batting with a runner on third, connected on a first-pitch fastball for a 407-foot, game-winning home run to left-center field.

“It means a lot for everybody in the clubhouse, it means a lot to win this series,” Quero said. “I’m happy for this team.”

Quero said the home run ranked with his major-league debut last season as far as personal moments.

“I think it’s tied right now,” he said.

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